05-01-2012, 11:07 AM
Itâs been a stressful senior year at times for Brady Hightchew.
The three-sport standout at Newport Central Catholic High School has had tough postseason finishes in football and basketball, and the angst of figuring out which of the three sports he wanted to play in college.
Hightchew recently chose baseball, signing to play for NAIA Shawnee State in Portsmouth, Ohio. The school is in the same Mid-South Conference as several of Kentuckyâs NAIA programs.
âI just liked it a lot,â Hightchew said. âThey told me I had a good opportunity to start my freshman year. I know coming in here starting sophomore year, knowing a position wonât be given to you, you got to earn it. Iâm going down there and try to earn my spot.â
Few athletes have been good enough to play in college in three different sports. The football quarterback led NCC to the 2010 state championship in Class 2A and a 24-4 record the past two years, and the play-making guard was the second-leading scorer for the hoops squad which lost in the Ninth Region final.
The shortstop was a key part of last yearâs Ninth Region champion baseball team that hopes to have another shot at state this year.
âPeople tend to do well their sophomore year and junior year and then their senior year they seem to fold,â Hightchew said. âItâs big for me, being my senior, I want to leave with a bang.â
During the signing ceremony April 18, NCC athletic director Rob Detzel compared him to some of the schoolâs past greats such as Frank Jacobs.
âHeâs not the best football player Iâve ever seen, the best basketball player Iâve ever seen or the best baseball player Iâve ever seen, but few athletes have been as good at all three as he has,â Detzel said.
The recruiting process wore on Hightchew all year and he is ready for a big final push in baseball.
âItâs great right now, knowing I can go play and relax,â he said. âThere was some pressure in the beginning and now after making my decision I can be more relaxed and go play the game that I can play and I love to play.â
NCC baseball coach Jeff Schulkens thinks he made the right choice.
âIâm very happy for him. He could have played any of the three but he has always liked baseball the most,â Schulkens said. âBrady puts too much pressure on himself at times. Heâs starting to relax right now and not trying to do too much. He was under .300 for a while and heâs back to about .370.â
The Thoroughbreds missed out on one of their goals April 18, losing to Holy Cross 2-0 in the All âAâ regional final at Florence Freedom Field. NCC took a 10-7 record into its next game. Josh Cain, NCCâs ace, shut Holy Cross out until the sixth inning when the Indians scored twice with the help of a pair of NewCath errors.
Cain, Connor Bartels and Andy Miller are the top hurlers on the team.
âWhen our pitching holds up, we can play with anybody in the region,â Schulkens said.
The three-sport standout at Newport Central Catholic High School has had tough postseason finishes in football and basketball, and the angst of figuring out which of the three sports he wanted to play in college.
Hightchew recently chose baseball, signing to play for NAIA Shawnee State in Portsmouth, Ohio. The school is in the same Mid-South Conference as several of Kentuckyâs NAIA programs.
âI just liked it a lot,â Hightchew said. âThey told me I had a good opportunity to start my freshman year. I know coming in here starting sophomore year, knowing a position wonât be given to you, you got to earn it. Iâm going down there and try to earn my spot.â
Few athletes have been good enough to play in college in three different sports. The football quarterback led NCC to the 2010 state championship in Class 2A and a 24-4 record the past two years, and the play-making guard was the second-leading scorer for the hoops squad which lost in the Ninth Region final.
The shortstop was a key part of last yearâs Ninth Region champion baseball team that hopes to have another shot at state this year.
âPeople tend to do well their sophomore year and junior year and then their senior year they seem to fold,â Hightchew said. âItâs big for me, being my senior, I want to leave with a bang.â
During the signing ceremony April 18, NCC athletic director Rob Detzel compared him to some of the schoolâs past greats such as Frank Jacobs.
âHeâs not the best football player Iâve ever seen, the best basketball player Iâve ever seen or the best baseball player Iâve ever seen, but few athletes have been as good at all three as he has,â Detzel said.
The recruiting process wore on Hightchew all year and he is ready for a big final push in baseball.
âItâs great right now, knowing I can go play and relax,â he said. âThere was some pressure in the beginning and now after making my decision I can be more relaxed and go play the game that I can play and I love to play.â
NCC baseball coach Jeff Schulkens thinks he made the right choice.
âIâm very happy for him. He could have played any of the three but he has always liked baseball the most,â Schulkens said. âBrady puts too much pressure on himself at times. Heâs starting to relax right now and not trying to do too much. He was under .300 for a while and heâs back to about .370.â
The Thoroughbreds missed out on one of their goals April 18, losing to Holy Cross 2-0 in the All âAâ regional final at Florence Freedom Field. NCC took a 10-7 record into its next game. Josh Cain, NCCâs ace, shut Holy Cross out until the sixth inning when the Indians scored twice with the help of a pair of NewCath errors.
Cain, Connor Bartels and Andy Miller are the top hurlers on the team.
âWhen our pitching holds up, we can play with anybody in the region,â Schulkens said.